This invention relates to the field of simulated cap screws which are used for decorative purposes in a number of products, including vehicle wheels. More specifically, the invention is concerned with cap screws that are received in bores as well as cooperating cap screw and bore configurations for retaining cap screws in the bores.
A known wheel includes a plurality of machined bores adapted to receive a known cap screw. Each bore has an inner portion with a first diameter, a central portion of a second diameter greater than the first diameter and an outer portion of a third diameter greater than the second diameter. Each portion of the bore is separated from an adjacent portion by a shoulder. The known cap screw comprises a cap end and a shank end. The cap end is adapted to be received in the central portion of the bore of an associated wheel and the shank end is adapted to be received in the inner portion of the bore. The shank end is provided with ribs to frictionally engage the side wall which defines the inner portion of the bore to retain the cap screw therein. Further details about this known construction are discussed hereinafter with reference to some of the attached drawings.
The instant invention is based upon the discovery of an improved cap screw, an improvement in cooperating cap screw and bore configurations and an improved method for retaining decorative cap screws in place. The cap screw comprises a proximate end provided with a decorative configuration and a distal portion provided with frictional retention means for engaging the side wall defining a cap screw bore. The cap screw is configured to be received in a bore defined by a substantially cylindrical side wall having a given diameter. The cap screw may include a distal end provided with a decorative configuration in a reversible embodiment of a cap screw according to the present invention.